...more recent posts
Here's the project sound from a distance inside someone's head invention in case you missed it. Still not sure there are any positive uses for such technology.
An unverifiable bit from Debkafile:
Tuesday August 6, at 0800 hours Middle East time, US and British air bombers went into action and destroyed the Iraqi air command and control center at al-Nukhaib in the desert between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.... For the first time, the US air force used new precision-guided bombs capable of locating and destroying fiber optic systems. The existence of such weaponry was hitherto unknown.Interesting weapon. Quite useful no doubt, if it exists.
The memory hole. Full text of news stories that are pulled from circulation. Are these guys credible? Looks good to me, but I'll believe almost anything. Interesting in any case.
Ars Technica has a roundup of the 10,000 pound stampeding elephant of a rumor that is currently trampling through Mac world. Short coded summary: The long awaited G5 might be an IBM produced son-of-Power4.
If this is true. And if the chip is as mighty as it might be. And if it could be ready to ship before next year. And if pigs fly. This will be a really really good thing for Apple.
The rumor boards are buzzing.
One day a government worker knocks on the door of a rancher in eastern Montana. He introduces himself and goes on to explain that a recent survey of the area has shown that it is not in Montana after all. The rancher's house is actually in South Dakota. On hearing this the rancher replies "Thank god! I don't think I could have taken another one of those Montana winters."
Yeah, I know. Anyway, I am shocked, shocked to learn that our friend's house on Long Island is NOT IN SAYVILLE. Can you believe it? Apparently it's in Bayport. I'm not sure what to do about this. It's not that I care where the house is. It's just that we've always called it Sayville. Can we really switch to Bayport?
"What did you do this weekend?"
"Oh, we were out in Sayvi... er, Bayport."
"Bayport? Who lives there?"
"Oh forget it."
Maybe we can resurvey the area or something.
Made the late night getaway after Tony got off work last night. MB came and plucked me from Tonic, and after we got past the construction on the Kosciusko bridge it was clear sailing out to Sayville. About an hour and ten minutes. I wouldn't have made it so far through the summer without this house. Nice to have well appointed friends. Beautiful day out here. Waiting on the fish sandwiches. You all have my permission not to work too hard today. Tell your boss to call me if there's a problem with that.
"Telecom researchers have successfully tested a solar-powered, remotely operated aircraft capable of relaying high-quality television, cell phone, and Internet signals and transmissions to the ground." Cool. That's the sort of technology I'm thinking of for the fibre optically tethered high altitutde balloon rising from the WTC site.
Another argument for this plan: NYC doesn't need millions more square feet of office space. But I do understand the feeling that whatever we build should be good for the economy (as well as providing space for a memorial.) This gives you both. An economic boost by clearly making NYC the most wired place in the world. Plus we can keep a lot of open space at the site. Just a glowing (plusing with traffic load) thread rising into the stratosphere.
Professional comics threaten to strike over unfair competition from the U.S. government. An unidentified SPC (Society of Professional Comedians) spokesman summed up the outrage at a press conference on Tuesday:
When you have Ashcroft redirecting the TIPS hotline to America's Most Wanted there just isn't much room left for the more traditional "made up" type of comedy. How the hell are we supposed to compete?
I've been coveting the Danger Hiptop (cellphone/two-way/pda/email/websurfing gizmo) for months. Looks like it is finally creeping toward availability. Danger isn't manufacturing the units, they are just selling the design to other companies who can make it and rebrand it as they wish. Danger makes money selling back end ASP services (for instance, your address book isn't stored on the device, it's stored on the servers at Danger.) The newly rebranded T-mobile (was Voicestream) now has it listed as coming soon. Yum.
Two atoms are at a bar having a drink. Suddenly one blurts out "I lost an electron!" The other replies "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm postive."